4 Toddler Fights That Aren’t Worth Having

Toddlers love to push our buttons. They're at that perfect age where they want to do what they want when they want, but they don't really have the communication skills or brainstorming abilities to make their wishes known.

That means we as parents often find ourselves butting heads with the wants and desires of our very demanding toddlers. When trying to find the balance between discipline and sticking our grounds, we also need to know how and when to pick and choose our battles.

Most parents want to make sure their toddler is eating healthy and has access to proper nutrition, but often, the toddler has a different idea of what they want to eat.

Getting into an argument with your toddler over eating their broccoli isn't worth it, because the more you push, the more they're going to push back. If you're worried they're going to starve if they refuse to eat, don't worry — they won't starve themselves. That doesn't mean you have to give in and give them macaroni and cheese when you're serving spaghetti with spinach either, though.

Using the Potty

What comes out of your toddler is really their business, and pushing them to use the potty is going to backfire. Yes, it would be nice to be done with diapers, but if you want to make sure your toddler really transitions, you'll want to wait until they are ready.

It's not like you can offer an ultimatum because when and how and where they relieve themselves is really their own domain. Nothing will jinx your efforts more than being overzealous and pushy!

Manners are important, and the sooner you make them a thing for your toddler, the more likely they are to stick to them. But not all manners are important at this age.

If your toddler chooses not to wave goodbye or doesn't want to give someone a hug, it's not worth the fight to make them. I don't think we should ever force our children to hug or kiss (even the grandparents) because teaching them that their body is their own is important.

4 Toddler Fights That Aren’t Worth Having

Devan McGuinness is the founder of the online resource Unspoken Grief, which is dedicated to breaking the silence of perinatal grief for those directly and indirectly affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. Using her own experience of surviving 12 miscarriages, Devan has been actively supporting and encouraging others who are wading through the challenges associated with perinatal and neonatal loss. Winner of the 2012 Bloganthropy Award and named one of Babble's “25 bloggers wh ... More

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